Over the years, World of Warcraft's various heroes have done amazing things together. From saving Azeroth multiple times to defeating apocalyptic threats, players have consistently shown their ability to support each other to achieve a common goal. But this doesn't just extend to the story as in the wake of Reckful's death earlier today, the community gathered to pay tribute to one of their own.
In-game, Reckful was well-known for his skill in PvP especially playing as a Rogue. He was rank 1 for 6 straight seasons, became the first person to reach a rating of 3000 with an impressive score of 117 wins to 4 loses, and won MLG's 2010 3v3 tournament. Eventually, Reckful would become one of the most recognizable Twitch streamers before the industry took off. Even though Reckful was banned from WoW in 2014, his name remained as famous as the greatest WoW players that came before him.
When news first began spreading of Reckful's passing, many WoW streamers reacted in complete shock on Twitch before hosting their own memorials, and others changed the titles of their stream to honor him. These live gatherings drew record numbers of viewers normally reserved for expansions and patch releases while in-game players also flooded into locations like Stormwind's Cathedral of Light with their characters to honor Reckful.
However, the biggest mournings weren't just limited to community figureheads such as Asmongold. Players on every server traveled to the cathedral or Reckful's own 'Byron Burnside' NPC to give their respects. Wowhead posted on Twitter that across the world, characters were also gathering in Orgrimmar's Grommash Hold or even making the journey to Stormwind as a Horde member to honor Reckful.
While it's not uncommon to see normally see massive numbers of players in cities especially on role-playing servers, the circumstances surrounding today's gatherings show that the community is still the unwavering pillar of support it is known for. Considering the current expansion is based on faction conflict and many are waiting for the release of Shadowlands, the response and renewed discussion about mental health shows that behind every character is another person that feels deeply about the topic.
Even if thousands of players didn't know Reckful personally, his actions ultimately inspired many others to PvP, create a Rogue, or even play WoW for the first time. In the end, that's why adventurers everywhere came together to honor his life, achievements, and influence.
World of Warcraft is available on PC.